There are many different types of fish in the world, and some of them start with the letter “H.” Here are just a few examples.
The hagfish is a slimy, eel-like creature that burrows into the ocean floor, preying on other animals. The herring is a small, silver fish that is often used as bait. The hoki is a popular fish in New Zealand that is often used in fish and chips.
These are just a few examples of fishes that start with “H.” There are many other types of fish in the world, each with their own unique features and habits.
Fishes That Start With The Letter H
There are many different types of fishes that start with the letter “H.” Some of the most common include herring, haddock, and halibut. Each of these fishes has its own unique characteristics and provides a different culinary experience.
Each of these fishes has its own distinct taste and texture. Whether you are looking for a strong flavor or something milder, there is certainly a “H” fish that will suit your tastes.
Herring
The herring is a type of fish that can be found in both salt water and fresh water. They are a small fish, typically only growing to be around 2-3 feet in length. Herring are an important food source for both humans and animals, and are often used as bait.
The herring is a silver-colored fish with a long, sleek body. They have a small head with a large mouth, and their eyes are located on the sides of their head. Herring have a single dorsal fin and an anal fin, and they are covered in small, sharp scales.
Herring are found in waters all over the world, and they typically travel in large schools. They are an important food source for many animals, including whales, seals, and birds. Herring are also a popular food for humans, and are often canned or smoked.
Herring are a relatively easy fish to catch, and they are often used as bait. In some parts of the world, herring are also used in traditional medicines.
Haddock
Haddock is a saltwater fish that is found in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a member of the cod family, and is closely related to other popular fish such as cod, pollock, and haddock. Haddock typically grows to be around 2-3 feet in length, and can weigh up to 15 pounds.
Haddock is a brown or grey fish with a long, slender body. It has a large head with a small mouth, and its eyes are located on the sides of its head. Haddock has a single dorsal fin and an anal fin, and it is covered in small, sharp scales.
Haddock is a popular food fish, and is often found in fish and chips. It is also commonly used in stews, chowders, and soups. Haddock can be cooked in a variety of ways, and is often baked, grilled, or fried.
Hake
Hake is a type of fish that is found in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is a member of the cod family, and is closely related to other popular fish such as cod, pollock, and haddock. Hake typically grows to be around 2-3 feet in length, and can weigh up to 15 pounds.
Hake is a brown or grey fish with a long, slender body. It has a large head with a small mouth, and its eyes are located on the sides of its head. Hake has a single dorsal fin and an anal fin, and it is covered in small, sharp scales.
Hake is a popular food fish, and is often found in fish and chips. It is also commonly used in stews, chowders, and soups. Hake can be cooked in a variety of ways, and is often baked, grilled, or fried.
Halibut
Halibut is a type of flatfish that is found in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is the largest member of the flatfish family, and can grow to be over 8 feet in length and weigh over 400 pounds. Halibut are an important food source for both humans and animals.
Halibut are a white or cream-colored fish with a long, flat body. They have a large head with a small mouth.
Hagfish
Hagfish might not win any beauty contests, but they’re champions of survival. These eel-like creatures, with barbels around their mouths and no jaws, live in deep, cold ocean trenches around the globe. Despite their lack of teeth, they’re expert scavengers, using sharp keratin plates in their throats to tear into dead or dying fish.
But the hagfish’s most fascinating defense mechanism is its slime. When threatened, they can produce a thick, sticky goo that clogs the gills of predators. This slimy shield buys them precious time to burrow back into the mud, where they spend most of their lives. This goo is also incredibly strong, and scientists are even studying its properties for potential use in medical applications like wound healing!
Fun fact: With over 82 vertebrae, some hagfish species hold the record for most spines of any vertebrate animal.
Hairtail
Hairtail may seem like a misnomer for a fish, but one look at these slender silver rockets explains the name. Growing up to 6 feet long but only an inch thick, hairtails are built for speed. They slice through the water in large schools, often leaping out of the ocean to escape predators.
These deep-sea dwellers are an important food source for larger fish and even whales. In Japan, they’re a popular delicacy, often skewered and grilled whole. While they might not be the showiest fish, their sleek bodies and lightning-fast movements make them fascinating creatures of the deep.
Fun fact: Hairtails have incredibly large, light-sensitive eyes that help them navigate the darkness of the deep ocean.
Halfbeak
Halfbeaks are a quirky bunch, sporting a long lower jaw that makes them look like they’re perpetually surprised. But this oddity serves a purpose! Halfbeaks use their extended jaw to scoop up plankton and small fish near the surface of the water.
When danger approaches, these surface dwellers don’t just swim away. They leap! Using their elongated pectoral fins, halfbeaks can propel themselves out of the water and glide for several meters, skimming across the surface like flying fish. This aerial escape act often leaves predators bewildered and hungry.
Fun fact: Some halfbeak species have bioluminescent spots on their sides, which they might use to communicate with each other in the dark depths.
Hammerhead Shark
With their distinctive T-shaped heads, hammerhead sharks are some of the most recognizable fish in the ocean. But their striking appearance is no mere fashion statement. The wide head provides space for their exceptionally large eyes, granting them a nearly 360-degree view of their surroundings. This panoramic vision is crucial for hunting, allowing them to spot prey and navigate complex coral reefs with ease.
Hammerhead sharks come in several varieties, with the great hammerhead reaching up to 20 feet in length and weighing over 1,000 pounds! They’re powerful predators, using their torpedo-shaped bodies and sharp teeth to hunt fish, rays, and even small sharks. Their unique head also helps them control their prey during feeding. By swinging their heads from side to side, they can stun and disorientate their victims before taking a bite.
Fun fact: Hammerhead sharks are highly social creatures, often forming large schools of up to 100 individuals. They may even cooperate during hunts, driving prey into a corner before attacking.
Handfish
Forget fins – the handfish takes its name from its remarkable pectoral fins, which have evolved to resemble… well, hands! These unique appendages, complete with “fingers” and even a “thumb,” allow the handfish to “walk” along the seabed, searching for food and shelter. They even use their “hands” to prop themselves up while feeding or peering over coral.
Found in the cool, temperate waters off the coast of southern Australia, handfish are masters of camouflage. They can change their color and texture to blend in perfectly with their surroundings, making them practically invisible to predators. This stealthy adaptation is crucial for their survival, as they’re small and slow-moving creatures.
Fun fact: Sadly, handfish are one of the most endangered groups of fish on Earth. Habitat loss and pollution have taken a toll on their populations, making conservation efforts a top priority.
Hardhead Catfish
Don’t let the name fool you – hardhead catfish are much more than just tough heads! These small, bottom-dwelling fish play an important role in keeping freshwater ecosystems healthy. They’re omnivores, scavenging for detritus, algae, and small invertebrates, helping to break down organic matter and recycle nutrients.
As their name suggests, hardhead catfish have a bony plate protecting their heads, offering them defense against predators. But their resilience goes beyond their armor. They can survive in low oxygen conditions and even tolerate some pollution, making them a valuable indicator of water quality.
Fun fact: Hardhead catfish have a unique breeding behavior. Males build nests under rocks or logs, where females lay their eggs. The male then guards the eggs and fry until they’re ready to fend for themselves.
Hawkfish
Hawkfish are like the resident snipers of the coral reef, perched on colorful ledges and keeping a watchful eye out for prey. These vibrant fish, adorned with stripes, spots, and even feathery filaments, come in a variety of sizes and shapes, but they all share a few key characteristics:
- Exceptional vision: With their large, bulging eyes positioned high on their heads, hawkfish have a panoramic view of their surroundings. This keen vision allows them to spot tiny crustaceans and zooplankton darting by, which they snatch with lightning-fast precision using their protractile mouths.
- Territorial tenacity: Despite their small size (most species are under 6 inches long), hawkfish are fierce defenders of their coral patches. They’ll chase away intruders, flash dazzling colors or erect their dorsal fins as warnings, and even engage in mock battles to establish dominance.
- Unique partnerships: Some hawkfish species form symbiotic relationships with shrimp. The shrimp clean parasites and algae from the hawkfish’s body, while the hawkfish benefits from the shrimp’s keen sense of smell and ability to uncover hidden food sources. This win-win partnership is a fascinating example of mutualism in the animal kingdom.
Fun fact: Did you know that some hawkfish species can change their sex during their lifetime? This rare phenomenon helps maintain a balanced population on the reef and ensures there are always enough breeding individuals.
Horsefish
Horsefish, aptly named for their elongated snout and prominent dorsal fin resembling a horse’s mane, are masters of disguise. These small, bottom-dwelling fish live in sandy shallows near tropical coasts, where they rely on camouflage to avoid predators and ambush prey.
- Chameleon-like camouflage: Horsefish can rapidly change their color and pattern to match their surroundings. They can blend in with sand, rocks, or even seagrass, making them practically invisible to predators like sharks and rays.
- Sand-sifting ambushers: Using their paddle-like pectoral fins, horsefish dig burrows in the sand and lie in wait for unsuspecting prey. Their elongated snouts act as vacuum cleaners, sucking up small worms, crustaceans, and other tasty morsels that come too close.
- Lure of the lights: Some horsefish species have bioluminescent spots on their bodies. These tiny lights may act as lures, attracting small fish and invertebrates closer for a delicious ambush snack.
Fun fact: Horsefish play an important role in the marine ecosystem by helping to recycle nutrients. Their burrowing activity aerates the sand and stirs up organic matter, making it available for other organisms like bacteria and plankton.
Horn Shark
Horn sharks are living fossils, swimming the oceans for over 350 million years. These bottom-dwelling predators are easily recognizable by their namesake feature – a rough, saw-like outgrowth on their snouts called a rostrum. While not a true horn, this bony protrusion plays a crucial role in their hunting and scavenging behaviors.
- Rostrum for raking and rooting: The horn shark’s rostrum is equipped with tiny, backward-pointing denticles. They use this saw-like structure to rake the seafloor, uncovering buried clams, worms, and crustaceans. It can also be used to stir up the sand and flush out hidden prey.
- Electroreception for hidden treasures: Like other sharks, horn sharks have special electroreceptors that can detect tiny electrical fields emitted by living creatures. This “sixth sense” allows them to find buried prey even in murky or dark environments.
- A slow and steady hunter: Unlike their speedy cousins, horn sharks are slow-moving creatures. They rely on stealth and ambush tactics to catch prey. Their flattened bodies and cryptic coloration help them blend in with the seabed, making them nearly invisible to unsuspecting victims.
Fun fact: Horn sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning they give birth to live young. However, unlike mammals, horn shark embryos don’t receive nourishment from the mother. They develop within tough egg capsules laid on the seafloor and hatch on their own when they’re fully formed.
28 Fishes Beginning With H
| Haddock | Hagfish |
| Hairtail | Hake |
| Halfbeak | Halfmoon |
| Halibut | Halosaur |
| Hamlet | Hammerhead shark |
| Hammerjaw | Handfish |
| Hardhead catfish | Harelip sucker |
| Hatchetfish | Hawkfish |
| Herring | Herring smelt |
| Hickory Shad | Hillstream loach |
| Hog sucker | Hoki |
| Horn shark | Horsefish |
| Houndshark | Huchen |
| Humuhumunukunukuapua’a | Hussar |
Conclusion
This is a list of fishes that begin with the letter H. The list includes both common names and scientific names.
Some of the fishes on this list are the hammerhead shark, herring, and the hagfish. The hammerhead shark is a large predator with a unique head shape. The herring is a small, silver fish that is popular in many cultures. The hagfish is a primitive, eel-like creature that scavenges on dead animals.
This list provides a small sampling of the many different types of fishes that exist in the world. It is amazing how such a wide variety of creatures can be found in the oceans. Each one has its own unique features and adaptations that allow it to survive in its particular environment.
